Hoodia, pronounced: HOO-dee-ah, is a cactus-like plats that grows primarily in the semi-deserts of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. It a genus of 13 species in the flowering plant, family of Apocynaceae, and subfamily Asclepiadoideae. This kind of cactus-like flower can reach up to 1m high and have large flowers, often with tan color and very strong smell.

Many Hoodia species are protected plants, typical of the Namib Desert, where the location ranging from Central of Namibia to Southern of Angola, especially in plains and rocky areas. Common names of this cactus-like include “Bushman’s Hat” and “Queen of the Namib”.

Many of its species are grown as garden plants, and one species of it names Hoodia Gordonii is being researched for use as an appetite suppressant.

Hoodia has been heavily marketed for weight loss and has become immensely popular In the last few years. Although there has always been a demand for diet pills, after the ban on the herb ephedrine, the market was particularly ripe for the next new diet pill.

Much of its popularity stems from claims that the San Bushmen of the Kalahari desert relied on hoodia for thousands of years to ward off hunger and thirst during long hunting trips. They were said to have cut off the stem and eat the bitter-tasting plant.

Hoodia gordonii grows in clumps of green upright stems. Although it is often called a cactus because it resembles one, hoodia is actually a succulent plant. It takes around five years before hoodia gordonii’s pale purple flowers appear and the plant can be harvested

There are over 13 types of hoodia in Africa. But the only active ingredient identified so far is a steroidal glycoside that has been called “p57″ and so far only hoodia gordonii is thought to contain p57